Ex-Navy Swim Instructor Gets Out of the Brig

A former Navy swimming instructor convicted three months ago of negligent homicide in the training death of a recruit has been released from the brig at Pensacola Naval Air Station, officials said Friday.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Combe, 28, of Tempe, Ariz., was convicted Sept. 23 of negligent homicide and conspiracy to commit battery in the March 2 death of Lee Mirecki, 19, of Appleton, Wis.

Mirecki died of a panic-induced heart attack during a training exercise at Pensacola’s Rescue Swimmer School. The recruit, who had a lifelong fear of water, was in Combe’s arms when he panicked.

Combe, who was originally accused of the stiffer charge of involuntary manslaughter, was convicted by a jury of five officers at a court-martial in Pensacola and sentenced to 90 days in the brig, given a letter of reprimand and a reduction in rank from petty officer 2nd class.

Combe, who claimed during his trial that he was simply teaching in the manner he had been taught, began serving his sentence immediately. He was released Dec. 7 when time was dropped from his sentence because of good behavior, a Navy official said.

In addition to Combe, nine other Navy men ranging from petty officer to captain drew non-judicial punishment. The former officer in charge of the school was acquitted of dereliction of duty in the only other case to go to trial.

Mirecki fled from the pool at the school that trains men to do high-sea rescues during an exercise called “sharks and daisies,” in which instructors acted like panicking survivors and tried to pull students under water to see if they knew escape techniques.

Mirecki crawled out, grabbed a nearby equipment rack and begged instructors to let him quit. He was pried away and thrown in the water. Minutes later he had a heart attack and died while students were ordered to turn away and sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The school was reorganized and instructors can no longer touch students in the water. Students are also immediately allowed to drop the course with their first request and are given training time-outs when they are in trouble in the water.

A preliminary report of an investigation by the Government Accounting Office released earlier this month praised the Navy for addressing safety concerns, but said it did not go far enough to ensure safety of students.